(Note: 04.09.2009 is September 4, 2009. Americans would write 9/4/2009, but there its date/month/year)

04.09.2009 — His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and Mayor of Moscow presented sets of special books to children with defective vision On September 4 in the White Hall of the Refectory Chambers of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour a ceremony of presenting the sets of books to children with weak eyesight was held.

His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill and Mayor of Moscow Yury Luzhkov headed the ceremony. The following persons took part in the ceremony as well: first deputy mayor of Moscow in the Government of Moscow L.I. Shvetsova, deputy mayor of Moscow in the Government of Moscow on inter-regional cooperation, mass communication and sport V.Yu. Vinogradov, head of the Department for Education of Moscow O.N. Larionova, head of the Department for social protection of population of Moscow V.A. Petrosian, head of the Committee on liaisons with religious organizations of Moscow M. Orlov.

In his opening speech Mayor of Moscow Yu. M. Luzhkov thanked His Holiness for support of such charitable actions and for participation of the Church in social charitable programs.

Addressing to the audience His Holiness Kirill said:“Dear Yury Mikhailovich, dear children! I have a great joy that you are here today, in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, I feel joy because when a child comes into contact with God, then joy, purity and strength appear. Every person has to overcome difficulties in his life. There is not a single person who would not have any vital difficulties. Sometimes we look at healthy, full of strength children from well-to-do families, and it seems to us: how nice these children live, it is well with them, it is well with their parents! But when you become making the acquaintance of such children and parents, it turns out, that they have a lot of problems and difficulties sometimes connected with very serious experiences. Every person has his own obstacle. God gives us some ordeals in life and when we overcome them we become stronger, more pure and we are coming closer to Him. Every person has such experiences: I have, Mayor has, your teachers have. You should well remember it and never consider yourself to be offended with your fate as nobody knows what will be at the end of one’s life. And that person does benefit who leads a proper life but not one who is most healthy and strongest. Thus with God you will lead your life in a proper way, with good tales you will lead your life properly, with a good book you will live your life properly, with good friends you will lead your life properly. I would like with all my heart to thank you, Yury Mikhailovich, the organizers of this festive, and those who arranged publication of these wonderful books which children with weak eyesight can read. May God give us an opportunity to be one family, and in a good family always one helps the other sharing by this one’s resources and talents. And we need you, dear children, not less than you need us. May our Lord save all of you!”

The blind children and children with weak eyesight from the specialized boarding school No1 performed a festive concert. Then the unique illustrated embossed books were presented to the children. This morning before the ceremony of presentation of books an excursion around the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour was arranged for the children.

There are more than 5,5 thousand children with severe eye diseases live in the capital. Little children with eyesight pathology are trained by special methods in more than 50 kindergartens and 4 schools. More than one hundred children with depraved vision took part in a festive event in the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.

The organizers of the ceremony were the Committee on telecommunications and mass media of Moscow and the Department for education of the city of Moscow. Moscow Patriarchate Press Service

02.06.2009 — Liturgy for persons with hearing impairment in Kemerovo. Ten people took part in the Divine Liturgy for the hearing impaired. The Liturgy was celebrated on May 31 in the church of the icon of the Mother of God “The Healer of Sorrows” in the South region of the city of Kemerovo. This unusual service was celebrated on the initiative of the students of the Tomsk Theological seminary Vladimir Khitya from Kemerovo and Sergey Popov from Irkutsk.

These students have been studying several years at the Tomsk courses of the sign language of the deaf. So they wanted to practice their knowledge. The administration of the Kemerovo regional department of the All-Russian society of the deaf accepted gladly the offer of the students to cooperate in this field. In the opinion of the chairman of the department A. Ivashchenko, the majority of the society members consider themselves to be Orthodox. That is why it will not be right to deprive them of an opportunity to know more about their faith. Thanks to the service deaf people learned many words of religious themes, they came to know some Scriptural passages and learned several main prayers.

On the eve of the Liturgy on May 29 Vladimir and Sergey held Catechetical conversations for those who wanted to take the Sacrament of Baptism and told about the importance of this step, its sense and meaning. The baptism took place on May 30 in the church of the Mother of God “The Healer of Sorrows”. The 16 persons were baptized. The Tomsk seminarians planned to celebrate the next Liturgy for hearing impaired persons in Kemerovo on July 25.

19.03.2009 — Orthodox educational program for the blind in Izhevsk. The St. Seraphim of Sarov Fund has been holding the grant support of the Orthodox education development and Orthodox initiative within several years already. One of the Fund’s projects is titled “Orthodox Initiative”. The administration of the Society of the blind in the city of Izhevsk prepared the programme “Orthodox education of blind invalids” and won the grant. Head of the department for social service and church charity of the Izhevsk and Udmurt diocese archpriest Viktor Kostenkov informed about this initiative of the Society of the blind. Head of the Izhevsk municipal organization of the blind turned to the diocesan department for some necessary recommendations. Knowing that some sectarians visited the society of the blind Father Viktor offered an official cooperation between the diocesan department and the society of the blind, and also charitable financial support as stocking of library funds, and meeting the transport expenses to visit Orthodox churches. The agreement was officially registered on March 11, 2009 at the office of the Republic society of the blind. “Orthodox news. Izhitsa”/ Patriarchia.ru

18.02.2009 — The Stavropol Theological Seminary takes under its patronage autistic childrenOn February 14 some local parents with their children suffered from autism came to the seminary church of St. Ignatiy Bryanchaninov. There are different approaches to autism and among scientists as well. Some people consider it as a feature of personality, others as a serious mental disorder. In any case the absence of necessity in joint activity and communication, desire to avoid or limit contacts with people – all these create problems for their associates and for autistic people themselves, and most of all for children.

That is why the parents of autistic children turned to Archbishop Feofan of Stavropol and Vladikavkaz and asked to help them in religious and mental development of their children and their churching. With the blessing of the Archbishop the Stavropol Theological Seminary took under its patronage autistic children. On February 14 Archimandrite Roman (Lukin) held the moleben on the occasion of the beginning of a good deed at the St. Ignatiy church of the Stavropol Theological Seminary. After the moleben a discussion with the parents was held. Such meetings will become regular, and they will be held on Saturdays every week. Orthodox psychologists will help teachers and students of the seminary. Stavropol diocese site/Патриархия.ru

22.01.2009 — Christmas festive for mentally ill patients
Christmas celebrations were conducted at some mental hospitals of Nizhniy Novgorod. Spiritual Father of the Pechery Ascension monastery hegumen Vassian took part in celebrations for mentally ill patients. The site of the Pechery Ascension monastery informed that Hegumen Vassian conducted Christmas celebrations at the city mental hospital No 1 (the department for recovering patients) and at the infantine department of the regional hospital. Some patients took part in a festive concert and after that hegumen Vassian gave out Christmas presents to adults and children. Патриархия.ru/Милосердие.Ru